A point-of-use water heater is installed in close proximity to the hot water fixtures that it serves. It is usually a small compact unit with a low heating capacity that is designed to serve one or two bathroom sinks or a kitchen sink. Some higher capacity models can provide sufficient hot water for a shower, or even a shower and a hand basin at the same time.
If you live in a rambling ranch style home or a large two story house that is served by a single whole house water heating unit, you will be very familiar with long hot water delays and the associated wastage of water down the drain. One of the best ways to eliminate these delays and receive instantaneous hot water, is to install a point-of-use water heater in areas of your home that are furthest from your main hot water supply.
By choosing to install one of these models as an independent water heating system in remote areas of newly constructed houses, you can save a significant amount of money in both plumbing and material costs, and insure instant hot water at all of your fixtures.
Some homeowners choose to install these small units as inline water heaters close to fixtures that are taxing their main water heating system.
A point-of-use water heater is usually a 2.5, 4 or 6 gallon electric min-tank unit, or an electric tankless model. Both types are small compact units that can easily be installed under a sink or in a nearby cabinet or closet. The electric tankless models are more durable than the tank units, and they can produce an unlimited supply of hot water. They do, however, require a 240V electric supply and a dedicated electrical service of at least 120 Amps. The mini-tank units are not as efficient as the tankless models, and their hot water supply is limited by their tank size and the recovery rate of their heating elements. They are, however, very easy to install, and most models can simply be plugged in to any convenient standard electrical outlet.
Because of the potential dangers of gas appliance use in confined interior spaces, tankless gas water heaters are seldom used in bathrooms. They can, however, be installed outside the home. Most of the well known manufacturers of tankless gas models make outdoor units that can be mounted on an outside wall of your bathroom close to the interior hot water fixtures it will serve.
The best known under sink mini-tank units are the Bosch Ariston water heaters. Stiebel Eltron, Insinkerator, Eemax and Rheem also make high quality mini-tank units.
Rheem also makes 10, 15 and 20 gallon compact point-of use tank water heater models that are small enough to be installed in a nearby closet.
Stiebel Eltron, Bosch, Eemax, Titan and Seisco make the most popular electric tankless under sink models.
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